The sun has once again been unveiled from behind the clouds after a three day abduction which means Erin and I will have a good chance of a hot shower tonight! Ah, what a treat!
I’m going on the second week of practice and everyday still seems like the first, each day presenting new experiences but no sign of continuity. It’s as if I’ve stepped on a mat made of shredded pieces of a complete story, each day fumbling through the various shapes hoping to discover just the right edges and contour. Pulling and pushing, inhaling and exhaling, lengthening and contracting, I rumage through the pieces of this abstract self. The practice is humbling and revealing. (more…)
It’s about 6:30 on Sunday night here in Gokulam, Mysore and while I type, I have opened the door to my apartment to let in the cool air accompanying this evening’s rainstorm. As the air circulates a cacophony of horns collide with the thunder as if in competition, as if the air can only hold one or the other. But soon the two merge and fade into the background only to present conversation, laughter, babies crying and sundry other clamour near my home in 3rd Stage. The sounds travel on currents that ebb and flow and filter through my open door and I absorb. it. all. I breathe it all in — soak it up — and like a rung sponge, I let it go. Until the next current.
Tomorrow at 4:30am I begin my Ashtanga practice at KPJAYI. It’s Led Primary which means, Sharath, my teacher, will lead the class (at his pace) through the Primary Series. Although I’ve been here before, I still find myself a little nervous and in anticipation of the morning. “It’s natural though,” I kindly remind myself. Even after all these years of practice I am still and will forever be humbled by the unknown and excited by possibility as observed from my mat.
Before bed, in just a few minutes, I wanted to say, “Thank you.” Thank you for practicing yoga with me at MGYS and trusting me as your teacher. I am forever grateful to you. Without you I would not be here as I am in this moment and for this, I Thank you.
Erin and I arrived in Gokulam on Tuesday morning around 6:30, red eyed from the long flight and freshly dusted by pungent particles that rushed in opened taxi cab windows from the wild miles between Bangalore and Mysore, we were greeted by our gracious hosts with boisterous salutations and delicious, hot chai and sweet biscuits. Thankful and think-less (aka exhausted) without hesitation, we accepted. Sitting and sipping — smiling — we had arrived, y’all.
This morning, Wednesday, after twelve-ish hours of sleep, we awoke for our first (home) practice in India…..at 3:30am. Cherished memory.
Tomorrow, registration begins. We’ll meet with our teacher, Sharath, and be assigned our practice times. First practice at the Shala will be on Monday!
The past couple of days have been productive. We’ve unpacked and settled in to our house, secured transportation in the form of a scooter, and got our internet and cell phones ready to go.
Now, time for dinner. Smoothie at Anu’s Cafe or Chaats at The Sixth Main?
Freshly blended and ice cold, banana, cashew, and fig smoothie at Anu’s Bamboo Hut. A quiet evening spent relaxing with Buggy, a very well loved black lab who lives here and the only other patron at the time. Perfect.
Hey, one more note! Remember this statement from last year?
Confession: I’m not a blogger or writer for that matter, I find it arduous to compose my thoughts and emotions into words to be exposed publicly — or even privately, see personal journal (there’s not one). I LOVE taking photos, however, and feel I convey my thoughts and emotions more effectively through images. I am eager to share this experience with you, I am overjoyed actually, because without you I am not me and this journey is not mine to be had alone, but ours. Beginning today, I will do my best to update the blog regularly through both words and images (ok, probably more photos – I can’t help it!).
It’s ALL still TRUE, however, a small but important change.
I WILL ACTUALLY make posts regularly this trip. Now that I, as the experienced Mysorian (I may have just made that up) I am, have the insight, ability, and courage to compose in all unusual situations and overcome all unusual challenges, i.e. unknown lengths of time without power. (side note: made possible largely in part by and a huge thanks to my editor from overseas, David Kimling and my local technical support, Jimmy Crow).
Thank you so much for your interest, love, support, and practicing yoga with me. I’m missing the studio’s warmth and charm and all of you who make Morning Glory Yoga so special.
A quick snippet of my morning schedule at the Shala….and a selfie 🙂
Some days I walk to practice and others, like today, I scoot.
The Shala is FULL this time of year so being prompt is just not good enough. I’m up early and out the door AT LEAST an hour before the start of actual practice time (‘real world time’ is actually 15 minutes behind ‘shala time.’)
I arrive on Mondays and Saturdays around 4:50 am and wait for my assigned time of 6:00 am (5:45 am Shala time) for Led practice. On these two days 4:50 am really isn’t early enough to be first in the door and everyone is after the same thing – a “good spot” to place their mat and (did I mention) the space is lined mat to mat with overflow in the changing rooms and entrance hall. It’s GREAT! and I’m not being sarcastic. Led practice is just as you would infer, it’s led by Sharath and we all practice in sync with his count.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I arrive around 7 am for my assigned time of 8 am (7:45 Shala time) for Mysore practice. We wait outside on the flip flop dotted Shala steps until the earlier group thins out inside and then we rise, and filter through a narrow door into the waiting room. We sit clustered together on the floor with the knowledge of who arrived in what order and we listen for the call, “next one, come in” “go there” “back” “next one, small.” As one student rolls up his/her mat from inside the practice room another immediately fills the spot. Those left to wait collectively scootch a little closer, I’m next and captivated by my view, “One more.” Mysore is a self paced practice with assists from authorized students and Sharath.
After 20 plus, surprisingly very pleasant, hours of travel I arrived in Mysore, India at 6am, Friday, 11.28.2014, at which time a very smiley, fresh out of his yoga practice, Jimmy Crow – you know this MGYS yogi — greeted me. Happy, exhausted, and discombobulated, a full day of adventure was ahead of me and I couldn’t be more pleased to have my feet planted on the ground in Mysore ready to take the first step.
These past couple of days have been spent catching up on rest, collecting necessities, being a passenger on a scooter, eating delicious food, being pleasantly surprised when I discover a new light in my apartment, and learning the layout of Gokalum, an area that I equate to a small subdivision of Mysore.
The above photo and first couple of paragraphs were intended to reach you WAY before now, however with regular power outages, lack of wifi, and just settling in to a new routine, it’s taken a little longer than expected. I am happy to report that I am now fully capable, well, at least in regard to the aforementioned excuses, of communicating with you.
Confession: I’m not a blogger or writer for that matter, I find it arduous to compose my thoughts and emotions into words to be exposed publicly — or even privately, see personal journal (there’s not one). I LOVE taking photos, however, and feel I convey my thoughts and emotions more effectively through images. I am eager to share this experience with you, I am overjoyed actually, because without you I am not me and this journey is not mine to be had alone, but ours. Beginning today, I will do my best to update the blog regularly through both words and images (ok, probably more photos – I can’t help it!).
Thank you so much for your interest, love, support, and practicing yoga with me. I’m missing the studio’s warmth and charm and all of you who make Morning Glory Yoga so special. More on Mysore to come soon!! Cheers.
